


Drifter's Auto Repair

by omnisan



Series: Seraph's Saga [21]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blizzards & Snowstorms, F/M, Falling In Love, Oral Sex, Power Outage, Vaginal Sex, omnisan's choice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-21
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:06:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22341514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omnisan/pseuds/omnisan
Summary: Drifter is an auto mechanic. Seraph's car breaks down in a blizzard on her way to celebrate her best friend's birthday. Take a guess as to what happens next.
Relationships: The Drifter (Destiny)/Original Character(s), The Drifter/Female Guardian (Destiny)
Series: Seraph's Saga [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1510769
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	Drifter's Auto Repair

**Author's Note:**

  * For [breadisjelly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/breadisjelly/gifts).



> Blame breadisjelly for giving me this idea.
> 
> Also this is clearly an AU and should be considered separate from the rest of Seraph's Saga. 
> 
> PS: this is not edited so excuse any mistakes

"Anyone still out in this weather should really seek shelter soon. This storm does not look like it's letting up anytime soon." 

"Yeah, no shit." Seraph muttered to herself. 

The blizzard was making it almost impossible to see the road and the snow that had already accumulated covered the lines on the pavement. On the plus side, Seraph was the only person on the road. But of course, there were more negatives to outweigh the positives. The car vibrated and puttered for a moment before coming to a halt. 

"No, no, no, no, no! This can't be happening!" 

Seraph tried to start the car over and over but to no avail. Instantly, without constant heat in the vehicle, it was starting to cool down and the windows were starting to freeze up. She rummaged through her bag to find her phone and immediately called Beowulf. He answered on the second ring. 

"My car broke down." Seraph said immediately. 

"I'll call a tow." 

"No, no, I can do that myself." Seraph put him on speaker and used her phone to find the nearest towing company. "I need something cheap anyways." 

"Why do you always go for the cheapest option? It's never the best." 

"I'm already short on money. And hey, look, there's a place just a few blocks away!" 

"What place?" Beowulf asked.

"It's Drifter's Auto Repair." 

Beowulf groaned. "Of course you pick the worst part of town to break down in. That place is not good." 

"I didn't choose for this to happen! Look, I'm gonna call this place and I'll text you later." 

Seraph ended the call and dialed the number for the tow company. It rang several times before a rugged voice answered.

"Whatta ya need?" 

"Um, is this Drifter's Auto Repair?" 

"Yes." 

"You tow, right?" 

"Yes." 

"I need a tow. And probably some repairs on my car. It just…stopped working." Seraph gave the man a relative location to find her vehicle and pick her up. 

"In this snow storm? You know that'll cost extra." 

"I don't really have a lot of options." Seraph sighed. "How fast can you get here?" 

"With this weather, about 20 minutes. Leave your emergency lights on and I'll be there soon." 

Not like Seraph could do anything else while she waited. Her phone was just about dead too, so she texted Beowulf that someone was coming to get her and she'd call once her phone got a charge. It wasn't an optimal position to be in, but Seraph had no choice. 

Waiting 20 minutes on someone else seemed like forever. Her car was now quite cold, all heat completely gone. She shivered and pulled her feet close to her chest to keep her body warm. It seemed like forever, but finally the tiniest bit of light came through the inches of snow already piling up on her windows. Since stopping, Seraph had seen no other vehicles pass by, so she had a good hunch this was the tow. A knock sounded against her window and made her jump, but a hand wiped away the accumulating snow.

"You call for the tow?" A man shouted from the other side of the window.

"Yeah." 

"Step out of the vehicle so I can get it hooked up. You can sit in my truck and I can give you a lift to the shop." 

Seraph grabbed her bag and the pepper spray from her glove box before exiting her car. The man was already pulling some chains and connecting them to her car. The frigid air didn't keep Seraph out for long. As quickly as she could walk in the snow, she went to the passenger side door of the tow truck and hopped in. The heat was already on and blasting at full strength, something Seraph was extremely thankful for. It didn't take long for the man to hook her car up and jump in the driver's seat to get back to the repair shop.

"I really can't thank you enough for helping me out." Seraph said to make conversation.

"What the hell are you even doing in weather like this? Every tv and radio station have been saying to keep off the roads." 

"I know." Seraph sighed. "I was on my way to visit my friend for his birthday and I thought I could beat the storm."

"Never underestimate winter storms." The man said. 

"Maybe I should buy a tow truck instead. You seem to be getting through the snow easily." 

The man laughed. "The Derelict can get through anything!" 

Seraph smiled at the man's name for his vehicle. She never really understood why people did it, but still found it endearing in a way. 

Their small conversation made the trip to the repair shop seem like nothing. The man dropped Seraph off at the front door while he maneuvered her car into the garage. That's when Beowulf's words came back to Seraph. The "bad part of town" sure wasn't a sight for sore eyes, and neither was the inside of the building. A small lobby with a grand total of six chairs and a coffee table with old magazines greeted Seraph as she walked in. The opposite end had a door that led to the garage she presumed, the main desk, and a coffee machine that looked like it hadn't been used in ages. Between two of the chairs in the lobby was a single door with a sign that was barely hanging on to the door that said "bathroom." Another door led somewhere Seraph didn't know.

"How lovely." Seraph frowned.

The man from before entered through the door behind the desk and took a moment to hang up his coat and took off his hat and gloves. He started clicking on the computer at the desk and Seraph walked over to him. She noticed the patch on his jumpsuit said Drifter, just as the business was named.

"Is Drifter your real name?" She blurted out in curiosity.

He looked over at her with something fierce. It told her that was the wrong question to ask, so she shut up. He proceeded to ask her for her information to put her in the system and then ask about her car, to which she had little idea what had happened to it. 

"I can do a diagnostic and see what I can come up with but it might be a while. I'd ask if you have someone who could pick you up, but ain't nobody going anywhere tonight." 

Seraph sighed and sat down on a chair before she remembered her dead phone. With her charger in hand, she walked around the small building with no luck on finding any outlet but then remembered the coffee machine. She unplugged the machine and instead plugged her phone in before returning to the uncomfortable lobby chairs. None of the magazines were of anything she had even the slightest interest in, so she found herself to be bored rather quickly. Diagnostics could take a while, so it wouldn't hurt to take a little nap right? 

"What the hell is this?" 

The sound of a man's yelling voice woke Seraph up in a startle. For a very brief second she was confused about her whereabouts before it all came back to her. Even with a pain in her neck from sleeping while sitting up, she turned her head to the source of the noise: Drifter in a fit near the coffee machine. 

"Did you unplug my coffee maker?" He asked in an accusatory tone.

"I needed to charge my phone." 

"No one unplugs my coffee maker. You want your car fixed, I need my coffee. Capisce?" 

Seraph gulped and nodded as she watched him unplug her phone to plug his coffee machine back in. He placed her phone on the counter before walking back out the door as he waited for the coffee to brew. Seraph waited a beat before she got up to take her phone back. Clearly she hadn't been asleep for long because it was barely at 22% battery. 

Once she got her phone turned back on, she checked the missed texts from Beowulf. All three were of him being concerned for her in varying degrees. The best option Seraph could do would be to call him, even though it was late. Beowulf would be up anyways, he worried for her like a dad.

"It's about time you called." 

"Sorry, my phone was dead." 

"Are you okay? Where are you?" 

"I'm fine, B. I'm at the repair shop. I don't know what's wrong with my car and I don't know how long it'll take for Drifter to figure it out." Seraph sighed. 

"And I don't know when it's going to stop snowing or clear up long enough for me to pick you up." 

"It's fine. Well, it's not fine but shit happens. Sorry I'm going to miss your birthday party." 

"You're the one that insisted I have a party." Beowulf said. "But, I'm sorry too. I'll find a way to get you."

"Please don't risk your life in this weather just for me. It's not worth it." 

"I'm not making any promises. I just want you to stay safe. Especially around creeps." 

"Yeah, yeah. I know how to handle myself. I'll try to call you when I know something else." 

Seraph yawned after the call, trying to find some post-nap clarity. That ounce of shut-eye made her realize how tired her body really was, which was to be expected when her phone told her it was approaching 11 p.m. Despite how tired she felt now, she refused to fall back asleep. As a means to wake herself up, she went into the closet of a restroom and splashed some cold water on her face. It only made her feel more cold than she was.

Upon leaving the restroom, Drifter was again at the coffee machine, this time pouring a large mug full of the dark liquid. He looked towards Seraph. "Want some?"

"No thanks." 

Drifter nodded and returned to his work beyond the back door. This left Seraph to fall into boredom once again. Without the use of her phone to entertain herself, sleep easily overtook her.

If it wasn't the bell attached to the front door of Drifter's Auto Repair, it was the bell on the counter ringing that woke Seraph up. She sat up, a cloth falling to the ground before she realized it. She rubbed her eyes and remembered she was not in a place she was familiar with. Leaning down, she picked up what appeared to be a forest green sweat jacket she had been using as a makeshift blanket. But it wasn't hers. Finally, Seraph looked up to see a shifty looking man in dark jeans and an all black hoodie with a hood that was pulled tight runs his face. He quickly looked away when their eyes met for a brief moment. Seraph had a bad feeling about this guy. 

Drifter walked through the garage door a moment later. He noticed Seraph was awake now and leaned in closer to speak with the man, so quietly that Seraph couldn't understand a word. Another look in her direction before they went through the third, unknown door together. 

The confusion and rather rude interruption of her sleep kept Seraph awake this time. She yawned before finding the energy to go over to the coffee machine and get a cup. There were only a few styrofoam cups available, no cream, and only a few packets of sugar. Not how she preferred her coffee, but she couldn't complain. However, being this close to the door made her curiosity bubble. Where did Drifter and the stranger go? What did the door lead to? She daringly took a step closer and began to reach for the knob, but it swung open, nearly hitting her and making her drop her coffee. 

"What are you doing?" Drifter asked, squinting his eyes at her in suspicion. 

"Uh, just getting some coffee." She reaffirmed her words by taking a drink from the cup in her hands.

"Stay away from this door. You're not allowed in." 

Seraph had no idea what to say to him after that. However, she didn't need to.

"I saw you asleep, looked rather cold so I gave you a jacket. It's all I had." 

So the jacket belonged to him after all. "Thank you, I appreciate your kindness."

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have more work to do." 

Drifter took his leave through the garage door. Seraph swallowed the remains of the brown liquid in the cup before throwing it away and returning to her seat. From her bag, she extracted her phone. It was 6:42 a.m. and she had 12% battery life left. She sent a quick text to Beowulf asking if he was up, and to her surprise, his reply was instant. She decided to call him. 

"I'm surprised you're awake." She smiled when she heard his voice.

"I'm worried about you."

"Enough with that!" Seraph chided, though instantly went silent, debating if she should tell him what she saw. "I have to tell you something, though." 

"What happened?" 

Seraph looked around, making sure Drifter didn't sneak back into the lobby. "I saw a strange guy come in wearing all black. He looked like he didn't want to be seen." 

"There's still a warning on travel. No one should be going out in this weather." 

"I don't think he had any car issues like me. Him and Drifter were talking but I couldn't hear anything, then they went through a door. I don't know where it leads, but when I tried to find out I got caught and yelled at."

"Don't go sticking your nose in places it's not supposed to be." 

"I know, but something just seems strange. I don't like it." 

Beowulf hummed. "I'll look into this Drifter guy. I told you I didn't like him." 

"You had no proof of anything, though." Seraph told him. "Look, my phone's about to die again, so I'll call you next time I can get a decent charge on it."

"Please be careful." 

Seraph stood up to stretch her aching muscles from sleeping in a chair all night, as well as use the restroom. Her stomach growled and reminded her of her growing hunger. Being hungry makes people do stupid stuff, and Seraph did just that. She used the remaining battery life on her phone to search for nearby restaurants that were open and decided to take the risk. With the jacket she'd been using as a blanket in hand, she went to the garage door and walked in. It took her a moment, but she found Drifter hiding beneath her car on a creeper. 

"Excuse me."

The man was clearly startled, not expecting to hear her voice. When he rolled out from under the car, he had a look of sheer anger. 

"Can I borrow this?" Seraph lifted the jacket in her hands.

Drifter's anger turned to confusion. "Yeah?" 

Without any hesitation, she put it on over her own jacket. "I'll be back in a bit. Oh, and my phone's dead so don't bother calling if you have any updates on my car." 

"Lady, what the hell are you doing?"

"Seraph. I'm hungry and going to go get food." 

Drifter shook his head. "Haven't you heard the news? They say the weather's gotten so bad they've got a travel ban in effect. You're not going anywhere." 

"Oh." Any optimism and confidence she had disappeared as her shoulders sagged. For a moment she appeared lost as she tried to think of a new game plan. 

Drifter wiped his check with the back of his hand, leaving a dark grease stain on his cheek. "I didn't want to tell ya 'cause I thought I could fix it all, but your car is pretty fucked. I'm trying to fix everything I can, but there's a lot I have to work on. I had to order some parts and with the ban they won't be here for a while." 

Seraph looked even more disheartened and Drifter clearly didn't like it. He groaned and finally stood up.

"I'm no hotel but least I can do is offer ya my apartment to stay in. It's just right upstairs, so no worrying about travel." 

"Oh, I couldn't. Really, I…" Seraph said. "Could I? That's not weird?" 

"Better than you dying of frostbite and hypothermia trying to go find a burger." 

Drifter led her back into the lobby and through the other, mysterious door, to which there were two staircases; one going up and one going down. Drifter led her up the stairs on the right side and opened the single door at the top. They stepped into a small kitchen which opened up into tiny dining and a slightly below average living space. The other open door between the kitchen and living space led to the bedroom and attached bathroom. 

"I don't have cable. Kitchen is all yours, just don't eat my black licorice." Drifter said. "Oh, and don't go wandering downstairs. Here or the lobby, got it?" 

Seraph nodded and barely managed a thank you before Drifter closed the door behind her. Alone again, but at least it was in better conditions this time.

After a decent meal with what she could scrape up in the fridge and pantry, Seraph remembered to find an outlet to charge her phone. As it charged, she called Beowulf back. 

"I wasn't expecting to hear from you for a few more hours at least." He said.

"Yeah, I missed you too." Seraph deadpanned, making her friend laugh. 

"How are you? I'm assuming you got to charge your phone a bit."

"Ah, yeah, about that. You're totally correct but you wouldn't believe what happened for me to get where I am now."

"I don't like the sound of that." 

"It's nothing bad." Seraph said. She began to explain to him the chain of events that led her to being free roam in Drifter's apartment. It wasn't luxury, but it provided her with what she needed.

"I tell you to be careful and then you do this." Beowulf complained.

"What's your problem?" Seraph asked, her mood beginning to turn sour.

"You're not being careful. Now you're in his apartment and he could take advantage of you or hurt you." 

"I know how to defend myself." Seraph spat back. 

Beowulf was silent for a moment. "You're right. I'm sorry, but I worry about you." 

"I know, B. It just gets old hearing it all the time." 

"Sorry." Beowulf said again. "I did find some stuff out about this guy." 

"Do tell." 

"He's been busted by the cops before. Four times, actually. Moved after every busy at locations that aren't even popular. And he always buys out the cheapest auto places to run his businesses." 

Businesses, plural?" Seraph questioned.

"One article I found said he'd been running an illegal fight club, which is why he's got money to move halfway across the country and start up another auto business." 

"That makes so much sense with the guy from earlier." 

"Now you understand why I worry so much." Beowulf reminded her. 

"Well, Drifter seemed to not want me near the basement of this place." 

"That's probably where he's running the fight club. Probably thinks you might rat him out if you knew." 

Seraph hummed. "Yeah, maybe." 

As much as Seraph loved talking to her friend, she decided it would be better to let her phone charge to fill health. Beowulf agreed to do more research on Drifter and his shady businesses and report back in a bit. In the meantime with nothing else to do, Seraph flipped through the few channels available on the tv before finally giving up. Waiting was boring and with a full stomach she was feeling sleepy again.

Cupboards slamming shut is what woke Seraph with a startle. Immediately, she sat up on the couch, momentarily forgetting where she was until she saw Drifter. In turn, she gave him a small fright.

"I forgot you were in here." He said. "Sorry for waking you up." 

Seraph checked her phone. It was almost noon, which explained why he was making such a racket in the kitchen.

Drifter moved to the fridge, opened the door, and hovered. "Uh, I don't usually have guests over so I'm not sure…" His words trailed off. 

Seraph appeared by his side. "I saw some veggies that weren't looking so great, but still edible. I can make something with them." 

"You're not making me lunch." He said.

"You're letting me stay here, the least I can do is make you lunch."

Drifter looked at her for a moment before squeezing past her to sit at the countertop bar. "Be my guest." 

Seraph took his spot in front of the fridge. "Do you have any preferences? Or things you won't eat?"

"I'll eat anything you put in front of me." 

"That explains the licorice…" 

"What?" 

"Nothing." 

Seraph grabbed some ingredients and got to work making a quick and simple, yet filling lunch: BLTs. Drifter seemed satisfied. In the time he finished two sandwiches, Seraph was just sitting down with her own. Drifter headed for the door, but stopped.

"Thanks for lunch." 

He even cracked a smile before heading out the door to get back to work on her car. Seraph found herself smiling once the door closed, but quickly realized and wiped it from her face. She reminded herself that she was just being nice to him, nothing more.

So nice, in fact, that she washed and dried all of his dishes, as well as cleaning all the countertops. With a moderately clean kitchen, she couldn't help herself but to keep going, continuing in the other room. She managed to find a vacuum but found it to be broken, or more so missing some pieces. Instead, she tidied the place up so she didn't feel like she was sitting in a giant trash can, and threw away miscellaneous things resembling trash. It was better for the time being. 

Since tv was unreliable for news or entertainment, Seraph went to her phone. The travel ban was all over the news. It was predicted to last at least three or four days. Seraph sighed. It hadn't even been 24 hours yet and she didn't want to spend another day trapped in an auto repair shop, or auto repair shop's tiny apartment. At least there wasn't any awkward air or tension between her and Drifter, since he worked in the garage for the better part of the day. Seraph found it very boring to not have anyone to talk to. 

Drifter returned to his apartment to find the tv on low volume and Seraph asleep on the couch. It was well past midnight before he finally decided to call it a night. Trying not to wake the woman, he quietly opened his fridge for food, and found a plate with a note with his name on it. On the plate was some BBQ chicken, a small pile of buttered noodles, and some sweet corn. Any other leftovers were in mismatched Tupperware on the shelf below the plate. He smiled at her efforts to be an accommodating guest, and decided to eat the late dinner cold, so not to wake her. 

She looked peaceful, almost serene, sleeping on his couch. As soon as he finished the meal, he went into his bedroom and gathered a few extra blankets to drape over her. It was the least he could do as a host. He watched the steady rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. 

"What the fuck are you doing, man?" He asked himself quietly before heading to his own room to get some sleep. 

Seraph stirred at the sound of Drifter in the kitchen getting a bowl of cereal for breakfast. She turned on her phone to see the time, squinting at the bright light, only to find out it was 7 a.m. She was still very tired. 

"Sorry." Drifter said with a mouthful of flakes when he noticed her wake up.

He watched as she struggled to get up on her feet, then wobble to his room to get to the bathroom. After a moment she was back and plopped back down on the couch like it was hers, then pulled a blanket over her head like a child. Drifter shook his head before setting the bowl in the sink and leaving. He had stuff to do. 

Seraph woke up a couple hours later, having been frightened from yelling. Yet, she couldn't exactly recall what she had been dreaming about. Just the yelling. When her sleepiness wore off, she decided to follow her normal routine: get some breakfast and then take a shower. The downside to showering at a stranger's house in addition to said stranger being a bachelor, there was nothing but a single bottle of 4-in1 soap to wash with, no makeup wipes, and no hair dryer. All she could do was make do with what she had available. 

After a shower, she finally felt a little more human again. But it didn't last. As the hours passed, Seraph felt colder and colder. She sat on the couch and threw the blanket on her at one point, but it just seemed to be getting colder in the place. It took her a moment to find the furnace, only to notice a light blinking next to the word 'error'. 

"Error? What do you mean error?" 

With the temperature continuing to decline to match the outside temperature, Seraph had to give in and find Drifter. It was his place after all. As she trekked down the stairs and into the garage, she found the man standing at a bench, cleaning some tools. He turned towards her as she approached. 

"I think something is wrong with your furnace, it's freezing up there." 

"Are you fucking kidding me? Again?" He groaned. 

"Again?" Seraph dared to ask as she followed him back upstairs.

"I've fixed it twice and it still breaks on me." 

Drifter, being a mechanic, tried to fix it but had no luck. It was finally broken beyond his repair. 

"I have a space heater in the garage, but I'm using it right now." 

Seraph thought for a moment. "I can just hang out in there for a while?" 

Drifter gave her a look that said he wished she wouldn't, but ended up agreeing. He didn't want to be responsible for her if she died from the cold in his own house. It's not like seraph wasn't already used to sitting in one spot for hours on end and waiting. She had her phone, now fully charged to provide her with some form of entertainment so she didn't bother Drifter. 

When it was finally late enough for Drifter to stop for the night, he hauled the space heater upstairs and Seraph worked on making dinner; tonight it was polish sausage and fried potatoes. 

"You know you don't have to make every meal." Drifter said as she put a plate in front of him.

"It's really okay. It gives me something to do besides wait. Not that I'm rushing you." 

Drifter cleared his throat. "I uh, never did thank you for last night's dinner since you were already asleep when I came in. It was good, though." 

Seraph smiled. "I'm glad." 

For a moment, only the scrape of forks and knives on the plates could be heard as the two enjoyed their meal. But they didn't get to finish peacefully. All the lights in the place went dark and the space heater turned off. Quickly, Seraph turned on her phone's flashlight so there was a light source.

"Great. The power is out." 

Seraph confirmed it from the internet. Neither of them had been paying attention to the news but the snow had turned to ice and many homes and businesses in the city were out of power. It was not an ideal situation to be in. 

"Everything keeps going bad." Seraph sighed. 

"I can fix a lot, but not the power. Might as well finish eating and go to bed." 

Drifter was done first and immediately went to his room. Seraph didn't even bother cleaning up the mess in the dark, and simply made her way to the couch to curl up under the blankets. After sleeping in this morning, she wasn't at all tired enough to sleep. The cold setting in didn't help, as she shivered even under blankets. 

She had no clue how long it had been before she got up to use the restroom. However, in pitch black it was no easy task. She tried not to wake Drifter, assuming he was asleep, but had to slide her hand across the walls to find the bathroom, which made some noise. As she left, Drifter spoke up and greatly startled her.

"Are you cold?" 

"I'm f-fine." Seraph said with a shiver.

"Do you…" Drifter sighed. "I'm not trying to be creepy but you're welcome to share my bed. I don't want you to freeze. I won't try anything with you either, you have my word." 

Seraph hesitated for a moment, but even in the dark and silence, Drifter knew she hadn't left. She was just thinking, and growing more and more cold being out from under any blankets.

"That's not weird?" She quietly asked.

"I'm just trying to help best I can." 

Seraph hovered for a moment before leaving his room. Drifter let out a sigh, thinking she turned down his offer, but she came back. He could hear her dragging the blankets back into his room. He sat up and pulled the covers back so she could get under the warm blankets, but she used one of his blankets to create a barrier between them. She didn't fully trust him but needed the warmth. Seraph's shivering eventually stopped and she was finally able to doze off, but Drifter stayed awake. Thinking. 

Drifter woke up early out of habit from years of work, but this time, things were a bit different. There was still no power and, strangely enough, a woman cuddled up to him. Unbeknownst to Seraph, while she slept through the night, she slowly broke the barrier she enforced to allow herself to enjoy Drifter's warmth. Drifter wasn't complaining, however he wasn't going to get blamed and chewed out for something he didn't do, so, as silently and slowly so no to wake Seraph, he slid out of bed and headed to the kitchen. Seraph stirred but did not wake.

Drifter was leaning against the counter, finishing a bowl of cereal when he saw the shape of Seraph emerge from the bedroom. Even without the power, it was still dark throughout the place, but some filtered light started to peek through the windows. 

"Mornin'" Drifter said.

Seraph hummed in response. She took a seat on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket from head to toe. Suddenly the light of her phone lit the room before she dimmed the screen to near nothing. All was quiet for a moment before Seraph sighed loudly. 

"Trucks are getting stuck trying to go out to bring back power. It's going to be a few days still…" 

Drifter groaned. "What time is it?" 

"Nearly 8 o'clock. Why?"

Drifter said nothing more as he returned to his bedroom for a quick change of clothes, seemingly ready to go out.

"Where are you going?" She asked him.

"Don't worry about it." 

"Don't worry about it?" She scoffed. "How can I not?" 

Again, Drifter said nothing as he opened the door to take his leave, but Seraph jumped up to follow him for answers. They descended the stairs all the way into the basement, then through a short hallway before the room opened up to a rather considerably large crowd, to Seraph's surprise. She was even more surprised that there was electricity to light the room, even if it was dim. Then she saw a generator. 

She followed Drifter around the crowd and got glimpses of two men throwing punches, bruised and bloodied as the surrounding men cheered them on. Seraph turned away from the violence to catch back up to Drifter who was already counting cash from a metal box. He said something to the man next to it, before pocketing some money and turning back. 

"What the fuck was that?" Seraph asked back in the powerless home. 

"I think you know exactly what that was." Drifter replied. 

"I can't believe Beowulf was right," She whispered to herself, pacing before she unleashed a storm upon Drifter. "You're using a generator to power lights in a basement so random men can fight each other for sport while we freeze to death up here? Maybe you don't care about yourself, but don't you have any compassion for other people? My well-being means nothing as long as you make your money, is that right?" 

Drifter stared at her as he took the vocal beating. "God, you're hot when you're mad." 

Seraph was already red from anger but now the red tinged other parts of her face as she blushed hard, not expecting Drifter to say anything like that. It left her speechless. And when he closed the gap between them, pushing her against the wall, she couldn't think of anything but kissing that stupid smirk off his face. 

Their lips connected. Like a magnet, Seraph was drawn to him and didn't want to let go, even to breathe. It was only when his lips left hers to nip at the sin on her neck did she fill her lungs with air again. She mewled at the touch and the tickling sensation from his beard while his hands grabbed at her waist, her ass, her breasts. Seraph was floating on cloud nine. 

"Do you wanna…?" Drifter asked, tugging at her jeans.

Seraph nodded, "Yes." 

The bedroom was still powerless and cold, but Seraph and Drifter were heating things up between them. Layers started coming off and got haphazardly tossed aside. 

"Wait," Seraph broke away from a kiss. "Do you have protection?" 

"Don't worry about it." 

"I'm not on the pill." 

"I said, don't worry about it."

Drifter slid a hand in her panties which shut her up immediately. Or at least from worrying. She was already becoming a mess underneath him and they hadn't even got to the best part. Seraph was wet, but not enough that it wouldn't hurt. While he didn't have condoms, he at least had lubricant to make it nicer for the both of them. Seraph's eyes rolled back into her head when he finally inserted himself. 

"God, you're tight." 

Drifter started slow, but worked into a pace they both liked. He enjoyed watching the way her tits bounced with his thrusts, but enjoyed it more with his mouth on them. Seraph's vocal cries told him she agreed. With his mouth on one, his hand took the other, both tongue and fingers pinching and flicking her tits, which were already hard from the coldness of the room. 

While he worked on her tits, Seraph slid a hand between them to get herself worked up even more. The wet, slapping noises of moist skin meeting moist skin and hot and heavy breaths were the only sounds in the room for a moment. Then Seraph cried out as she got herself off before her partner. Drifter kept thrusting until just before his tipping point, when he pulled out and shot his hot load all over Seraph's chest and stomach. She now understood why he told her not to worry. 

"God damn." Drifter huffed. 

It took them a moment to catch their breaths, Seraph finally letting go of a death grip she didn't know she had on Drifter. In another moment, he got up and went to the bathroom to bring back a damp towel to clean Seraph off with.

"It's gonna be cold." He warned her. 

She braced herself, but still wasn't ready for it and hissed at the cold. Even for a mechanic with rough hands, Drifter's touch was gentle on her. After cleaning her, he didn't feel like picking up the remnants of clothing all across his floor and tossed Seraph one of his shirts and a pair of plaid boxers before donning himself with a similar look. 

Seraph didn't ask the question on her mind. She let Drifter nudge her to scoot over while he crawled back into bed. The barrier had already been crossed, so Seraph cuddled up next to him to stay warm. They said nothing. 

Seraph woke up again, the light leaking through the window now a little bit brighter. Her legs were intertwined with Drifter's, who was already looking at her.

"How long have you been watching me?"

"Since you fell asleep earlier." 

"That's not creepy at all." She smiled as she brought a hand to her eye to rub it.

"You know you clench your hands a lot when you sleep?" 

"I do that?" 

"Were you dreaming?" 

She shook her head. "Not that I remember." 

Suddenly her phone went off on the floor beside the bed. For a moment she detached herself from Drifter and his heat to find the phone before quickly returning. The notification alert was from Beowulf, wondering how she was doing in the power outage. 

"Who's that?" Drifter asked nosily. 

"My friend." 

"Boyfriend?" 

"Wouldn't you like to know." Seraph chuckled as she sent a reply. 

Drifter was silent. Seraph looked up from her phone. He was being serious. 

"No, he's just a friend. What—" Seraph scratched her head and sighed. The question from earlier was finally coming out. "What are we?

"What do you wanna be?" 

"Well I thought…" she trailed off. 

"Seraph, I've known you for what? Two or three days?" Drifter asked.

Her heart sank. All she could think of was that she really just fucked her mechanic because what? They were cold? How could she be so stupid? All the bad thoughts began popping up into her head and she couldn't even look at him anymore. 

"Three days…" He started to whisper, leaning towards her ear as a hand snaked around her body, "And I want to know more about you."

All the bad thoughts in her head vanished as quickly as they appeared once Drifter's lips were on hers. Once again, it started to get heavy between them. Just as he slipped his hand into the boxers Seraph was wearing, her phone beeped again. He didn't hesitate to take it from her and toss it back on the floor. Whatever it was, it wasn't important, and Seraph agreed between pants as he finger fucked her under the blankets. 

Seraph gripped his arms, his chest, the blanket, anything. She thought she was about to lose her mind but then he stopped. She couldn't help but whine, only to be filled up with him a second later.

"You're not gonna—"

"Don't worry about it." He told her again. 

He rolled up the shirt she wore to lick her body and leave hickeys all up her sides to her breasts, collarbones, and neck as if marking his territory. She loved every second of it. As much as she loved what he was doing to her, she couldn't stand waiting to get off and let her fingers slide between their bodies. Except Drifter grabbed her hand and held it away. 

"Let me." 

He pulled out of her and went further under the blankets. He continued to mark her, her inner thighs the new target. She swallowed hard knowing where this was going. When his mouth touched her folds, a wave of goosebumps spread across her body. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she arched her back all while trying to find anything solid to grab onto as Drifter sent her over the edge already. She lay panting when Drifter came back up, cock in hand.

"Do you want me to—" Seraph began, but he silenced her with a finger to her lips.

She watched him get himself off in front of her, while his hand trailed from her mouth to tits. The longer he touched her, the closer he looked to reaching his limit. 

"Come on me." Seraph dared to whisper, which immediately sent him over the edge. He did as she asked. 

Suddenly Seraph's stomach rumbled. She was completely spent after round two and needed some nutrition, especially if they were to keep going at the rate they were going. Drifter cleaned his mess off of her again and went out to the kitchen to find something to fill them up. 

It was another day and a half of no power before the lights came on while Seraph was riding Drifter. The lights and everything surprised her, which surprised Drifter. He barely had enough reaction time to pull out of her before coming early. 

"Well that was bad timing." He groaned. 

"Sorry." Seraph said.

"Not your fault sweetheart." 

With the power back on and the sex ruined for the moment, they donned some clothes and finally left the bedroom. Seraph's phone had died again so she plugged it in to charge after turning the tv on. Hundreds of people were still without power and finally the travel ban was lifted. Conditions were still nowhere near good, or even decent, but more and more plows were making the rounds throughout the city. People could risk going back to work and rushing out for food and supplies once again. Even so, Seraph had no plans on leaving yet. 

Drifter got back to work and things returned to normal. Except of course, when Drifter came back up for a meal, he also came back up to see Seraph rather than ignore her. He spent more time with her and finished up working earlier so they could enjoy each other's company.

The part he ordered for her car came in the following day and he had begun to get it installed right away, per her original request. It was when Seraph was alone again, she received a call from Beowulf. 

"How's the work on the car coming now that power is back?" 

"The last part is here and Drifter's working on putting it in." 

"That's good." Beowulf cleared his throat, "So I was thinking, now that the weather is clearing up, I'd pick you up and get you outta that dump for a while." 

"My car should be finished tomorrow, B. I'll come over first thing tomorrow." 

"Well I'm already here." 

Seraph walked over to the window to see his vehicle parked on the side of the road. "Give me a minute."

Seraph threw on her coat over Drifter's shirt, not thinking twice about it, and grabbed her phone and bag before heading into the garage. Drifter was cleaning tools again and noticed her immediately.

"Where are you going?" 

"Beowulf wanted to pick me up since I originally came here for his birthday. I'll be back later." 

Drifter wasn't too thrilled about her leaving, but wasn't going to tell her no. "Have fun." 

He didn't even bother to give her a kiss, so she pecked his cheek before heading out. She was a bit down from his behavior, but Beowulf lightened her spirits.

"Where do you want to eat?" 

"What?" She asked with a smile.

"You've been living with some strange dude for almost the last week and I know you're hungry. Pick a place and let's go." 

"Anywhere?"

"Anywhere."

"I was supposed to have dinner with you, not you take me out for dinner." She laughed.

"It's my birthday and I've decided we're going out to eat. So pick someplace, I'm hungry." 

The two friends went to a local bar closer to Beowulf's place. Even for the early afternoon, many people were already out and having drinks and lunch. The atmosphere here was calm and comfortable and not too loud. The food was delicious and filling. 

After a fulfilling meal, Beowulf took Seraph back to his place, where she flipped on the couch like it was hers. Beowulf handed her a drink while he sat in the chair opposite of her. 

"So tell me about Drifter." 

"Seraph raised her eyebrows. "What do you mean?" 

"Do you think I'm stupid? I can understand the power affecting your use of your phone but you haven't said a thing about him." 

"I didn't realize I had to." 

"Is he hurting you?" 

"What?" Seraph asked. Beowulf pointed to her neck and it took her a moment before it dawned on her. She shook her head, "No, no, no, no, you have the wrong idea." 

"Care to elaborate then?" 

Seraph's face began to feel hot. "Uhh…" 

"Oh my God, you're fucking him." Beowulf put a hand to his face in disappointment. "Why?" 

"Why?" Seraph questioned. "What I do with him is none of your concern." 

"Yeah, you're right, but are you at least using protection?" 

Seraph looked away and scratched her face with a finger. "Uhh…"

"God damnit Seraph." Beowulf grumbled. "You want a kid?" 

"No! Oh my God, do you really want to know? Do I really have to tell you he pulls out?" 

"That's not safe." 

"Beowulf stop. I know what I'm doing." 

Beowulf sighed. "Sorry. I just—I don't trust him. Not after all the shit I read." 

"You don't know him like I do." 

"I don't think I want to." Beowulf made a face that made Seraph chuckle, turning the mood around. 

Seraph spent the better part of the day with Beowulf, and as much as he tried and offered to have her stay with him instead, Seraph ultimately decided to go back to Drifter's. She returned through the lobby doors to find someone else waiting now. She slipped past them and up the stairs, letting herself in. It was empty, rightfully so if Drifter was busy working. 

For the first time in a while, Seraph headed to the bathroom to check herself out. If Beowulf noticed the hickeys, it must've been bad. Dozens of dark purple welts lined her neck and trailed into her shirt. She removed it to reveal more covering her torso and leading into her jeans.

"You're back." Drifter's voice said behind her, startling her. "What're you doing?" 

"You did a number on me." She laughed.

He touched her skin. "Guess so." 

"I saw you had someone else downstairs." She commented. 

"Oil change." He said. "Your car is finished now too." 

"Oh." Seraph leaned into his touch as he hugged her from behind. "That's good." 

"Come shower with me." 

Seraph didn't object and removed the rest of her clothes as Drifter got the water to a suitable temperature. Seraph stepped in first and let the water splash her face and warm her before Drifter joined. 

"I don't wanna see you go." 

Seraph caressed his face, noting the sad look in his eyes. "I know, but I have to." 

"You could stay with me." 

"I'll be with you right here." She pointed to his heart. 

"It won't be the same without you here." 

"I can visit you on weekends, and you can come to my place."

His hands wandered every inch of her body as if mapping her out and making a copy in his mind for when she was gone. 

"I want you." 

Seraph let him indulge in her. 

It was hard to say goodbye to someone she'd gotten exceptionally close with over the course of nearly a week. She never told him those words, but she was sure she loved Drifter. However, it was hard to stay in touch with someone when both parties were constantly busy with work and life. But Seraph missed him. 

It wasn't until she was on her way home from work one day that saw a strangely familiar sign on what used to be an old, probably abandoned building that made her stop her car in the middle of the road before. She pulled off to the side and dared to head inside. The lights in the lobby were on but no one was there. She rang the bell.

Drifter appeared through a back door, wiping grease off his hands. He smirked. "Well, well, well. Fancy meeting you here." 

No amount of tiredness from work could stop Seraph from literally jumping into his arms. 

"What are you doing here?" She finally asked after a million kisses.

"The place was for sale and I thought I'd move here to be closer to you. If you still want me to." 

"Of course I do! I love you." 

Seraph looked surprised at her own words. They came from her heart and she'd been holding onto that for a while. Drifter looked just as surprised as she, but kissed her forehead.

"I love you, too."


End file.
